News

3rd UPDATE: The California Highway Patrol announced this afternoon that the suspect in a fatal hit-and-run collision that occurred Sept. 1 on U.S. Highway 101 has turned herself in. According to the CHP, 18-year-old Carley Kathryn Palsson surrendered to police Friday night. See the full press release copied below.

2nd UPDATE: The California Highway Patrol has identified the victim in Tuesday's fatal hit-and-run collission as 47-year-old Lawrence Kenneth Bryant, of Fortuna. See the full press release copied below.

UPDATE:
The California Highway Patrol has identified the driver allegedly involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident on U.S. Highway 101 near Fortuna on Tuesday as Carley Kathryn Palsson, 18, who resides in the McKinleyville and Miranda areas.

CHP has a signed arrest warrant for Palsson on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run, according to a release, and is asking for the public's help identifying her. See the full press release copied below with an accompanying photo of Palsson.

PREVIOUSLY:
As the Journal went to press last night with a cover story detailing Humboldt County's alarming vehicle fatality rate, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver along U.S. Highway 101 near Fortuna, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The death is the 23rd on county roads this year, and the eighth involving a pedestrian. 

According to the CHP, a still unidentified person was driving a 2007 Gray Chevrolet Tahoe southbound on U.S. Highway 101, north of the State Route 36 interchange, when for unknown reasons the vehicle drifted onto the west shoulder of the freeway and struck a 47-year-old male pedestrian who was walking southbound. The pedestrian died on scene as the driver fled, heading eastbound on State Route 36. The CHP is asking for the public's help in identifying the driver of the Chevrolet, which witnesses say had a license plate of 5ZND366.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the accident to call CHP at 822-5981 during business hours or 268-2000 after hours.

For more information on the crash, see the press release below. For more on Humboldt's vehicle fatality rates — which are double the national average and nearly triple that of the state — pick up this week's Journal, on newsstands now. Or, if you prefer to digest your news in pixels rather than print, check back here tomorrow for the full story.

The CHP press release:

FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISION ON US-101



CHP requests information regarding the following incident***********



FORTUNA, Calif. – On the evening of Tuesday, September 1st, one pedestrian sustained fatal injuries after a Gray Chevrolet Tahoe traveling southbound on US-101, south of Fortuna, left the roadway.



At approximately 8:10 p.m., an unknown person, was driving a 2007 Gray Chevrolet Tahoe southbound on US-101, north of SR-36. For reasons still under investigation, the driver of the Chevrolet allowed the vehicle to leave the roadway. The Chevrolet traveled onto the west shoulder of southbound US-101 and collided into a male pedestrian who was walking southbound at the time. The Chevrolet continued off the roadway and collided into a fence on the west side of US-101. Witness reports state that the vehicle fled the scene and headed eastbound on SR-36. Witnesses described the vehicle as a Gray 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe with a California license plate of 5ZND366. The pedestrian, a 47 year old male from Fortuna, succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the collision. This collision is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. The identity of the male pedestrian is being withheld pending family notifications.



*****Any information leading to the identity of a suspect and/or location of the vehicle should be referred to the Humboldt CHP office at 707-822-5981 during business hours or the Humboldt Communications Center at 707-268-2000 after business hours.

Updated release from CHP:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Humboldt Area has identified the driver of the grey 2007 Chevy Tahoe that was involved in this traffic collision. The suspect is Carley Kathryn Palsson; DOB 10/10/1996. She is approximately 5’ 3”, 120lbs, brown hair and blue eyes. She is known to reside out of the Mckinleyville and Miranda areas. The Humboldt Area CHP holds a signed Arrest Warrant for Palsson on the charges of Vehicular Manslaughter and Felony Hit and Run. If anyone has any information that may lead authorities to the capture of Palsson please call the Humboldt CHP Office at (707)822-5981 during business hours or the Humboldt Communications Center at (707)268-2000 after business hour

From the CHP:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Humboldt Area is now able to release the identity of the victim that was involved in this traffic collision. The victim was identified as Lawrence Kenneth Bryant, age 47, from the Fortuna Area. CHP Humboldt Area CHP is still looking for the suspect, Carley Kathryn Palsson. If anyone has any information that may assist authorities with locating Palsson please contact the Humboldt Area CHP Office at (707)822-5981 during business hours or Humboldt Communications Center at (707)268-2000 after business hours.

From CHP:

UPDATE: The suspected driver in this Fatal Traffic Collision is in custody. Carly Kethyrn Palsson turned herself into authorities on the evening of 09/04/2015. Palsson is suspected to be the driver of a 2007 Gray Chevrolet Tahoe which, for reasons still under investigation, she allowed the vehicle to leave the roadway and collide into a pedestrian resulting in fatal injuries. The Humboldt Area CHP wants to thank everyone who is assisting in this investigation. Thank you to all citizens who called authorities with any and all information related to this case.